Hat-fastener.



7 PATENTBD FEB. 14,1905. W. W. M'QNAUGHTQN. S

HAT FASTENER. APBLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1904.

WITNESSES:

TINVENTOR:

BY I

ATTORNEY f r 'R No. "(eases UNITED STATES WILLIAM W. MGNAUGHTON,

Patented February 14, 1905.

OF NEWVARK, NEW JERSEY.

HAT-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,683, dated February- 14, 1905.

Application filed July 14, 1904. Serial No. 216,594.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. MONAUGI-I- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented certain newand use ful Improvements in Hat-Fasteners; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to fasten a hat, and particularly'a straw hat for mens wear, upon the head of the wearer with greater firmness and safety, to provide a more simple construction whereby it will not be seen when not in use, to enable the said fastening device to be changed-quickly and conveniently from its fastening or holding position to its concealed position, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved hatfastener and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a straw hat to which my improvements have been attached, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail showing the construction and relation of the working parts one to another more clearly.

In said drawings, 5 indicates a hat on the inside of the body of which is arranged the sweat-band 6, which may beof any usual construction. On the inside of the hat between the body thereof and the sweat-band are inserted and fastened metallic plates 7 7 which are disposed at opposite sides of the hat. Said plates provide bearings for short, vertically-adjustable, and independent springs 8 8, which when drawn down to their limit of downward movement, so that their lower ends project below the sweat-band, are adapted to press op- "head.

positely against the opposite sides of the head of the wearer of the hat, the upper ends being then hidden by the sweat-band and not interfering with the hair at the top of the Said springs 8 8 are slidable in their bearings, both their upward and downward movements, however, being limited to prevent withdrawal. Said fastening-springs are of strap-like form and when viewed edgewise are inwardly curved. Thus their lower extremities may bear with suificie nt pressure against the side of the head to secure the proper fastening of the hat upon said head. To provide ample bearing-surface, and thereby secure the proper fastening, the lower ends of the springs are provided with cross-heads 9, formed integral with the body of the spring, as indicated in Fig. 2. By being integral the said crosshead may easily slip between the sweat-band and hat-body and lie there without materially reducing the size of theaperture for the head. The said cross-heads provide a horizontal bearing of suitable length, and thereby conduce to a rigid holding of the hat, preventing to a large degree any rocking action of the hat upon the head.

The plates 7 are perforated at 10 to receive stitching 11, by which said plate 7 is held firmly to the body of the hat, and near its op- .posite ends in the line of its longer axis each of said plates is horizontally slotted, as at 12,

to receive the strap-like body of the spring, the slots being of a length suflicient to permit the free sliding of the strap-like spring 8 and yet prevent any looseness of movement, and, indeed, to produce a frictional contact by which the said body may be held in any of'its positions without other fastening means. The plates are approximately the width of the sweat-band, so that the slots at the ends thereof are at considerable distance one from the other, and yet said plate may be wholly concealed from view. The sliding springs are independent one of the other and terminate near the upper ends of the plates 7, the said plates being only long enough to enable the desired distance of sliding movement to be gained. Thus the springs do not extend continuously from one side of the hat to the other, but slide vertically each'at one side of the hat,

and inasmuch as each spring lies in two slots there is a positive sliding movement and no material lateral movement is permitted. The upper end of the strap-like spring 8 is provided with a lateral bend or projection 14, by means of which said body is prevented from withdrawing from the plate 7 when pulled downward.

In practicing the invention, the parts being applied to the hat in the manner above described,and shown in the drawings,under normal conditions or when the hat is worn on a quiet day the said springs by simply pushing them upward are concealed beneath the sweatband and the hat is not marred in appearance by the devices, nor do the devices interfere with the ease and comfort of the hat upon the head; but in the event of the hat being worn during a wind-storm or while the person is travelingin a boat or any rapidly-moving vehicle the said springs can be grasped by the cross-heads and drawn downward by the finger-nail with the greatest ease and facility, and the hat may then be worn without danger of its being blown from the head.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. The combination with the plate adapted to be attached to the inside of the body of the hat, said plate being slotted near its opposite ends, of a strap-like curved spring extending through both of said slots and slidable therein, the lower end of said strap-like spring having a bearing to engage the head and the opposite end having a limiting bend or projection 14, to prevent withdrawal of the strap from said plate, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the hat having a forth.

WILLIAM W. MCNAUGHTON.

Witnesses:

CHARLEs H. PELL, RUssELL M. EVERETT. 

